[Saba Sports News] Someone in the Utah Jazz marketing department seemed to overlook the 1990s. A photo shared by a Jazz fan recently went viral, revealing an interesting item available in the team’s store.
The image displayed Jumpman T-shirts with the iconic Michael Jordan logo placed above the words ‘Utah Jazz.’ This viral photo triggered a significant backlash from Jazz fans, prompting the team to take action. A Jazz team spokesperson confirmed to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday that they have removed the shirt from their inventory in response to the public outcry. Larsen pointed out that the NBA has a partnership with Jordan Brand, and the Jumpman logo is featured on team jerseys across the league, including Utah’s black Statement jersey.
Furthermore, Larsen mentioned that the Jazz T-shirt was based on a leaguewide design used by many other teams. Nonetheless, it was evident that the Jumpman shirt didn’t sit well with Utah fans. The Jazz, in their nearly five-decade history, have never won a championship, and it was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls who thwarted their best chances in the 1990s.
Utah had two consecutive 60-win seasons and reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, only to be defeated by the Bulls on both occasions. Jordan’s dominance kept franchise legends John Stockton and Karl Malone, as well as the Jazz franchise as a whole, without an NBA championship ring.
Since then, Utah has not achieved 60 wins in a season or made it to the Finals, with only one conference finals appearance in 2007. At the age of 60, Jordan is now seen as a more sympathetic figure, especially after leaving his role as an NBA owner. Nevertheless, it would probably be in Utah’s best interest to remove those Jumpman shirts from circulation.